To Seek Within

Warning: Different forms of torture and horror. Be advised.

Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura are thirteen years old.

Part One

Chapter One: To Seek Answers

Sasuke's bruised, dirty knees hit against the cold stone floor as he and Naruto were dragged through the long dark hallway of the unknown place, blinking awake from his drowsiness as panic settled into his stomach. The Stone ninja did not say a word to their captives, didn't even look at the two boys as they continued on their hurried path with them in tow, a firm grip on their chained arms.

Kakashi… Sakura… They took them away. Where were they? Where was Sakura...?!

"Sas…uke," he heard as he snapped his wide gaze towards the blonde boy next to him. Naruto's eyes were wet and anxious, burning into his with an underlining fear and the same question that was running through Sasuke's mind.

What were they going to do with them?

It was supposed to be a simple C-rank mission. Protect the merchant Yamada Takino while he visited Stone country. That was all Team Seven was supposed to do. The surprise attack threw them completely off guard… three squads of Stone ANBU. There was no chance.

What was even more alarming is that it seemed they had not interest in Takino… their only objective was to capture Team Seven. And they did. But why…?!

This wasn't an information holding mission. They weren't protecting any secret from any hidden village that would warrant interrogation. Our capture couldn't have had anything to do with our assigned mission. But… what could Stone want with Leaf ninjas? What the hell could they want from us?

Sasuke remembered Sakura and Kakashi being pulled away in a different direction when he was in a half state of consciousness, his mind screaming for him to do something but his body unable. He had been beaten so bad… blood from a wound above his eyes splitting his vision in a blur of crimson. Sakura… What would they do to Sakura…?!

All Sasuke could do was watch her be taken away screaming and crying… yelling his name… "Sasuke-kun...!" but the scream faded as a black gloved hand of a stone ninja clamped on her mouth. Frantic green eyes pleaded with Sasuke to do something - anything - to save her…

But he couldn't. He couldn't do anything but watch and hear Naruto's harsh yells - no sobs - as he warned them not to hurt her. Begged them not to. But the stone ninja didn't say a single word. Never.

Sasuke knew the horrific rumors of Stone ninja. What they were capable of. Their cruelty as ninja was legend.

Kakashi is with her. Kakashi is with her. But that thought pattern proved ill to silence the haunting, foreboding whispers of what happened to girls like Sakura in imprisonment and torture. Kakashi was the worst injured out of all of them -because it took four hours of long struggle to defeat the copy ninja, using almost all the men.

Sasuke noticed the stinging sensation on his knees dull as they stopped moving. He knew his leg was broken by the odd bone protruding from the bottom of his knee and by how numb it was. Shakily, he looked around the expansive, dark room with eyes trying to hide the wariness and alarm that was freezing up his nerves.

The ninja in back of Sasuke gripped his shoulders, pushing him down hard so his already marred knees grounded roughly against the wet, jagged floor. With a boot twisting into his back, the ninja forced Sasuke to bend low until his face was almost touching his knees. His chained hands behind his back were strained and throbbed greatly. Sasuke knew this was the prisoner of war position as his heartbeat pounded in realization.

He looked up to meet scared blue eyes. Naruto…

Naruto was right in front of him, locked in the same position as Sasuke, not even two feet away. They held each other's gazes as Sasuke wondered if they were going to die.

"Why…" his voice sounded so sickeningly weak… "Why are you doing this?! We don't have anything to give you- there is no reason for you to be doing this!"

The stone ninja merely laughed, not one voicing anything to answer his questions.

"What are you going to do?" Naruto asked in response to their jeering, sounding so hoarse.

But Sasuke was shocked still as pain filtered through his senses, a handful of his spiky black hair being held by the ninja in back of him. His head was forced higher as he saw the ninja in back of Naruto do the same, pulling roughly on Naruto's mess of blonde.

Sasuke's eyes widened as he saw the smirking ninja in back of Naruto raise a long, sharp kunai blade above the Uzumaki's head.

"Naruto!" Sasuke said-torn with half horror- they were going to kill Naruto- Naruto was…!! NO!

But Naruto didn't even seem to realize as his wide, terrified eyes were focused above Sasuke's own head. "NO! Don't- don't kill Sasuke! God- NO!" Naruto screamed, struggling against his hold as Sasuke realized distantly that the ninja in back of him was doing the exact same thing.

I didn't kill Itachi yet…

Two quick swipes cut through the air simultaneously.

Black and blonde tresses flew into the air as Sasuke gasped inwardly, mixing together as they landed on the ground near the teammates knees. Sasuke stared at the hairs in confusion as to what had happened and then looked up at Naruto…

Who was missing a large chunk of blonde spikes.

Sasuke blinked wordlessly, they're chopping off our hair…? What?

Sasuke then felt a cool liquid substance pour onto his head as he watched silently as more hair fell to the floor. He fisted his hands at his back, a million questions digging into his mind as he saw Naruto bite his lip so hard he drew blood. But… neither of them made a single sound.

Finally, when there were two large piles of black and blonde hair on the ground the Stone ninja were finished. Sasuke stared at Naruto- realizing offhandedly how un-Naruto-like he looked without his obnoxious blonde hair to go with his loud personality. The two shaved thirteen year olds just stared at each other with sinking terror.

What are they preparing us for? Why do this?! Sasuke recalled some of the old torture stories they were given in Ninja Academy and wondered if this was happening to them right now. He knew the chances of surviving such circumstances were extremely low for ninja… But we're gennin. We weren't on a high rank mission… Why…

"Now…" one of the ninja said, "It's time to get started with the treatment."

The others murmured their quiet agreement as Sasuke and Naruto were once again dragged down a different corridor. The two boys were side by side as Sasuke saw Naruto glare up at the many Stone ninja surrounding them.

"What are you gonna do to us, huh?! Where are our other teammates?! Where are you taking is, GOD DAMMIT! Answer me!" Naruto ordered, cursing as they just laughed tonelessly.

"You sons of"- But a hard kick in the ribs left Naruto weakly gasping for air. Sasuke gave him an intent look as Naruto just stared at his teammate, worry clouding his gaze. All Sasuke could do was stare back.

They steadily approached a room as a blinding light left Sasuke dazed for a couple of moments. Blinking rapidly, his vision adapted as he studied the pristine, white room… a laboratory. He quickly took in the two metallic slates, the machines, the wires, and the group of medics in their long white coats. Now Sasuke's nerves shook with apprehension of what could happen… wondering what these Stone nin had in plan for him and Naruto.

Treatment… What treatment? His thoughts collided and paraded and crashed in his panicked mind, eagerly trying to come up with methods of escape but each situation sounding more hopeless than the next. He had no chakra. He could barely stand…

Sasuke was lifted abruptly into the air and slammed down on one of the slates, the slate feeling as cold as ice against his back. He hissed in pain as the ninja separated his arms and cuffed them near his sides to the slate, his ankles receiving the same treatment as well. He couldn't move at all, and felt his breathing shorten to low pants.

…What was going to happen?!

His black eyes cut across the room to when he heard Naruto scream, his left leg being chained down to join his other. Naruto's battered face turned and met Sasuke's, his blue eyes widening to see what must have been panic in his usually calm, emotionless friend's gaze.

"Sasuke…" Naruto whispered… the blonde's shoulders were trembling visibly.

Sasuke knew Naruto was thinking what he was thinking…

But white gloved hands outstretched over Sasuke's head, making him snap his attention away from Naruto and stare nervously as the medics muttered to each other behind their white surgical masks. He counted- five of them were hovered over him as he could taste the bile rise to his throat as he tried to swallow it down.

A bright, illuminating light beamed down on his eyes as everything beyond the medics dimmed to blackness… he couldn't even see Naruto anymore and he was less than a few yards away. Only their cold stares as those gloves hands reached for him.

"Start the procedure." The one to his right stated in a bland, cool tone.

"Hai." The rest of them chorused.

"Wh… What are you…" Sasuke started but jumped an inch off the cold, high raised slate as he felt a wet something brush up the side of his left leg as his black shorts were hiked up a bit.

Sasuke craned his neck to look over himself as he saw the medic at the very end of the slate held a brush dipped in black ink, drawing kanji characters up the side of his leg. They're performing a jutsu on me…?! Sasuke's insides tightened and pulled as the medic handed the brush to the one next to him as that medic began writing up Sasuke's arms.

Finally, the medic near his head grasped the brush as Sasuke felt it swipe across his forehead and down his low collar. What the hell are they doing?! Even though he jerked as much as he could his actions proved effortless as they stopped painting him with kanji.

"What the hell?! What are you going to do with that?!" He heard Naruto scream out as his heartbeat accelerated when Sasuke saw a gas mask moving down towards his face.

No… I can't let them do this to me…! But he couldn't move. I have to save us… save Naruto…

"SASU"- Naruto's yell was cut off was pure silence echoed the resounding darkness.

This made Sasuke even tenser as the medic clamped down the mask so hard that Sasuke was forced to take an inhale of breath. The effects of the drug took effect almost immediately as a drowsy, lightheaded sensation blanketed his mind. No…

Even though he screamed internally, the blackness of unconsciousness took over.

Sasuke was cold. That was the first thing he felt as he opened his eyes warily, remembering what happened when he was last awake. It was dark… but he could see a flash of orange in the corner of the small room- no not room- cell. A prison cell. The steel bars loomed over the Uchiha.

The orange blur took form and moved. Relief spread through him instantly as he recognized Naruto and sat up heavily, his head feeling as though it weighed a million pounds. Sasuke groaned and ran a hand over his head, momentarily startled to not feel the black spikes in the back of his head. He shook his head but then regretted the motion as a harsh wave of dizziness flooded through him.

Sasuke crawled over to Naruto, shaking his shoulder. "Dobe," he muttered lowly, as bleary blue eyes blinked up at him in dazed confusion.

"Sasuke…" he said as he made an odd noise in the back of his throat. He promptly turned over on his side and vomited, making Sasuke wince as the smell overtook his senses.

Naruto coughed as more vomit splashed on the muddy, cracked ground. Sasuke put a hand over his mouth in an effort to stop from heaving but it was vain as he choked up on the rising bile, pushing Naruto aside to throw up in the same corner.

"Uggh… my head! What the hell did they do?!" Naruto said, his voice drained as Sasuke sat next to him, breathing heavily.

"I... I don't know. It feels like my brain's on fire..." Sasuke replied, gritting his teeth with the force of the headache.

"Sasuke-teme... you look like a monk."

Sasuke blinked and looked at Naruto who was wearing a half grin on his whiskered, blood dried face. He laughed as Sasuke gave him a death glare. "What? Don't think you'll have such a big fan club anymore, Sasuke?"

Sasuke rubbed his sore temples. "Naruto, it doesn't matter. That's the least of our concerns, and besides, you're bald too." Sasuke pointed out as Naruto scowled and touched his head where there once was haphazard blonde hair.

"Oh man, Sasuke, where the hell are Kakashi-sensei and Sakura-chan? Kakashi-sensei will get us outta here, right?"

He looked away, frowning. Its possible... that they're not even alive... His stomach twisted as his hurried thoughts from before returned. No, think!! First, come up with a plan of escape! Sasuke looked around the damp, dreary cell and wondered if such an aim was even possible. He could see outside the small cell stood two Stone nin guards. Just how many ninja were in this Stone base?

"Sasuke?!" He looked over to see Naruto's panicked expression worsen when he didn't answer him.

"I don't know, Naruto." He responded, watching the unmoving Stone ninja closely before he huddled nearer Naruto. "We can't rely on Kakashi right now- we have to come up with our own plan." Sasuke whispered lowly.

Naruto nodded. "Okay, can you think of anything?" He whispered back. "I'm... I'm really worried about Sakura-chan, teme!"

"If we can get out we can rescue both of them." Sasuke said, "Do you have any chakra left?"

Naruto frowned thoughfully and was about to shake his head no when a roaring laugh came from outside the cell. Sasuke turned his head to see the guard smirking maliciously at them. Naruto rose a fist, ready to challege the ninja about what he thought was so damn funny but a sinking dread hit the bottom of Sasuke's stomach. He heard us- we were talking about our chakra and he laughed- WHY? Unless... Unless...

"You drugged us to chakra depletion." Sasuke stated emotionlessly, as the Stone nin's lips curved with underlining mirth.

"Well, well... aren't you a smart one?" The ninja laughed again, turning away to face the oncoming footsteps from down the hall.

We have no chakra...

How can they escape without any chakra?

"Oh, shit..." Naruto cursed faintly as the group of ninja from before appeared outside their cell.

"Where is our other teammates?!" Naruto yelled, standing up as Sasuke leaned most of his weight of his unbroken leg and stood as well.

Silence was the only thing that answered them.

The bars slid to the side as four of the ninja walked in, easily pulling both boys out of the cell and swiftly down the corridor. Are they going to take us back to the lab? Is that what these Stone ninja took them for- to perform experiments on them? Why did they need Leaf shinobi? Why do this in the first place? Is... is this what they were doing to Sakura and Kakashi? Sakura...?

The ninja holding Sasuke had his sore wrists held behind his back as they took the two teammates into another room- and Sasuke felt some relief seeing it was not the labratory again. To the Uchiha it was worse than torture because he didn't have any idea what they were doing to him while he was unconsious. Anything could happen and the possibilities put Sasuke on edge, wary and nervous.

This room was strange, though. As the ninja continued to pull the two of them in the room Sasuke noticed that even though it was a wide and expansive, there was only one long, rectangle shaped box lying in the middle on the room, seeming really out of place. As they were dragged closer, Sasuke noted that the dark grey box wasn't a box at all... it was a coffin. Are they really going to kill us now?! But then- why is there only one coffin?!

Fear prickled down Sasuke's spine as the heavy lid was thrown open. Sharp, pointy spikes littered all across the coffin's insides. No... Sasuke saw the large, bolted lock hanging off the door of the coffin and knew what was going to happen next. They were... Naruto or him was...

Naruto let out a scream and he kicked his feet in the air, "Why are you doing this?!" But Sasuke's eyes widened as he saw his teammate picked up and bodily thrown into the deadly coffin. He landed awkwardly on his side as Sasuke struggled hard against the ninja holding him- he managed to kick the nin in his knee as he growled threateningly, pushing Sasuke closer to the coffin until he was hovering over Naruto.

"Don't worry- you'll be joining your friend!"

What- But Sasuke didn't have time to respond as he was pushed inside, falling right next to Naruto inside the coffin. He groaned as the spikes from the bottom of the coffin dug themselves into his side, sticking into his left leg all the way up to his shoulder. He couldn't even register panic- it was beyond him- as Naruto, whose face was barely an inch away from Sasuke's, began breathing quickly.

The two boys were so close together their entire fronts were touching, with only their arms in between them. There was no space no move- not unless they wanted to be further stabbed by the many sharp spikes. Sasuke couldn't even stop supporting his head because it he did a particulary long spike would cut right through his temple. His heart ready to jump out of his chest, Sasuke hoped that anyone- Kakashi- would help them.

"They... they aren't..." he let an anguished whisper out as Sasuke turned his head to look up at the ninja hovering over them, wearing sick, amused grins.

The lid to the coffin,covered in many steel spikes, was lifted over Sasuke and Naruto. "No! Don't...!!" Naruto said, no pleaded as they laughed again.

"Why are you...?!" Sasuke asked, stricken but knew they probably wouldn't answer him.

The one holding the lid smirked. "If it works... you'll find out."

The lid slammed closed as Naruto screamed and Sasuke tried to brace himself for the pain- spikes rammed themselves into his right leg, arm, and side as he let out a pained grunt... He could feel Naruto's soundless cry because he was so close. He could feel Naruto's crazed heartbeat and felt suffocated, so confined. Sasuke could feel blood trickling down his skin from the half-inch wounds all over and couldn't breathe- he... he couldn't move... he... couldn't even see it was so dark- so dark and so-

He heard the lock click.

A/N:

This is going to be one of the most horror-filled stories Twitch and Spaz will ever write! Please review- we want to know what you think.

Twitch and Spaz